6 minutes past twelve broadcast of Minnesota meeting are supported by Oppenheimer Wolff and Donnelly with offices in both Minneapolis. And st. Paul providing legal services to businesses around the world and deed. It's time now for today is Minnesota meeting off we go to the Bravo entertainment center in downtown, Minneapolis. Good afternoon, and welcome to the Minnesota meeting. I'm Glenn Scoville vice president for government and Community Affairs at Honeywell and also a member of the board of directors of the Minnesota meeting. It's my pleasure to welcome all of you or in this room to at this afternoon session and also to welcome our radio audience that is throughout the Midwest listening to this program on. Midday a program on Minnesota Public Radio. Broadcast of Minnesota meeting are made possible by the law firm of Oppenheimer Wolff and Donnelly with offices in Minneapolis-Saint Paul and major cities throughout the United States and Canada. Members of the Minnesota meeting represent this communities leaders from business government Academia and the professions. This is the Minnesota meeting 16th year in the marketplace of ideas. Well today it's a personal privilege for me to introduce our speaker Mannie Jackson owner and chairman of the Harlem Globetrotters. America's probably most beloved sports franchise. He's also my former boss at Honeywell. So that makes it even more of a personal. Pleasure both Manny and the Harlem Globetrotters can trace their Beginnings back to Humble communities in the midwest. Manny was born literally born in a boxcar in the Tiny Town of the olmo, Missouri and grew up in your by Edwardsville, Illinois Small Town the Globetrotters began their tour in tiny Hinckley, Illinois. Manny went on to become a prominent business leader who currently sits on the board of directors of for Fortune 500 companies. He's been recognized as one of the nation's 40 most influential black Executives by both Black Enterprise and by ebony Magazine's he was also organizer in past chairman of the executive Leadership Council and organization of upcoming black business Executives in US companies. But many of us here know Manny both is the official an executive at Honeywell and the person who is very active in the community in the Twin City area you retired from Honeywell as a senior vice president and corporate officer three years ago to commit himself full-time to the Globetrotters. And I can tell he's having a ball doing that since buying the franchise in 1993 Jackson has doubled net revenues and boosted profits more than tenfold. Success with the ball team was based on a very simple fact have fun and make sure your audience knows you're having fun. But then he not only has the business skills to run the Globetrotters. He also has the vision as to what it means to be a Globetrotter because he personally early in his career spent two years as a member of the team that is it is a Globetrotter. Today Manny. In fact, maybe you still have the option to kind of suit up whenever you want is at the as the owner. Not smart enough not to okay. Well today man. He will speak on the topic. What sports should be in following his address. Manny will take questions from the audience Saint Marys and Gloria McLean Minnesota meeting will move through the out the audience to take your your questions. But that Manny it's a privilege to have you here with us today. Thank you so much. You're so many people here today. And in this community that I should be recognizing that I'm just simply not going to be able to do is lie, but just give everyone a shout and say thank you for helping me to do what I've been able to do when I'm trying to accomplish. It's funny. Yesterday I was on in Orlando. Being a part of the celebration of the grand opening for the animal kingdom, which is made out of million dollar project. And I was also a speaker there. And the speaker at a reduced the Globetrotters of myself as as not only a great brand but a very hot bran. And I sat there and kind of bask in the glory of hearing that statement from Disney folks and I thought this is kind of interesting. I tell you the same thing. I'm just five years ago at this time that the seventy-year-old send it to your organization went into bankruptcy. And there's a man in the audience today Henry miles that I can sell it that time and we talked about what it meant for an organization to be in bankruptcy and could have our condition that a Godly bankruptcy to buy. I mean, I was raised in a box car. So I knew something about overcoming obstacles. I was raised in a time when apartheid racism where the standard so I knew something about overcoming obstacles. I worked at Honeywell and we had some difficult times. And sometimes we didn't look so good for the company. So I knew something about overcoming obstacles. But to leave a career 25 years and working for a man like Mike Mancini already had a tremendous vision for for Honeywell and the take over a company that was in bankruptcy. It took a lot of faith. It took a lot of faith and that's it's about dreams stuff. That's my believing in yourself, but we did it and I thank Henry miles for Consulting me on that and making it happen. But the acquisition was also supported by at least seven members of this community. And if I don't name all seven, I'll name the three. That's a standout just in my mind. Like I can't believe here Bill. Lurton Pharma chairman of Jostens came forth and said, I'll help. Jack Jones who was also a Josh's the time the only black investor I have in the group came forth and helped when I say how they put money on the line and at Spencer my former boss and farmer, honey while I came forth and not only help with money but also help with wood console and Leadership and that kind of stuff and of course I'd as I found out and working through Honeywell for so many years and traveling around around the world and then on the inside and business stuff as in school and anyplace else we all have and must have angels. And Dennis Matheson, who is a citizen here. Was it this this community was my angel of the time we started doing this. But I begin to think about other angels from this community. And it's a long list the Jostens Corporation with a big help. I can never forget Northwest Airlines. You came to my to my Aid when I needed someone to talk to and and give me some support General Mills put us on the cover of there their cereal before we even got to stab if you were still just coming trying to find our way but they found a way to put us on their cereal boxes. Honeywell, someone asked me was a biggest investor in the Harlem Globetrotters. No question about a Honeywell my back or sitting here the day and I paid payroll out of my checking account. That's kind of scary a banker. Allow me to take a second mortgage on my house to pay the bills. That's kind of scary had to work. I took all this talk of that and honey while and let her sit. To make it happen, but the bankers went along with this Northwest Bank. And I think about this and so, you know forever a great story. It probably is trivialize and Anna support the people have given you any look for helping others, but also and every successful story through thousands of parents. And every feeling of the day ends up being a stepchild as most of you know, but I'm happy to be a part of the story. That's that's becoming one of the nation's big biggest success stories. And our goal is not to be just a a great brand that we want to be the hottest brand the country. We want families and children and Commercial Partners to look upon the garden Globetrotters at someone that can respect someone that can count on something I can believe in and someone I can trust our scorecard for the last 2 * 50 year has been phenomenal with actually triple the size of the business. And we continue the girl girls profit in ways. I never dreamed could happen. We bought a properties company last year Globetrotter properties. It has now doubled in size we have revenue and it's time this year the US share Revenue increased 40% We had nine weekends this year with a team drawer 70,000 people in a weekend. From December 26th through April 1st 16000 people everyday will see the Harlem Globetrotters play across this country. In a year the team will it will be in 30 countries? They'll do 400m say year. As we speak now there's a group in Denver with a carpet organization called Bond and they're doing a full-scale game with everything happening for their national sales reps. Two weeks ago, I gave a speech and had the team end the seamen's organization with a farmer Honeywell Carl gang and we did it up parents were his group. Charter bonuses are happening every place and it's kind of work. Do you think this is where you'd like to be at this point in our development, but you know Again, when you when you're bored of The Boxcar you have to think about raising the bar. And we keep saying we got to do better we need to do more. We got a feature film to make it through Columbia Pictures and my goal when I left Mike Mancini already watched it to tell the Harlem Globetrotters start to tell the story which is overlooked at the NBA's 50th Anniversary ceremony, but a handful of black Barnstormers really created the entertainment and Define the sport as we know it today. We took the Aragon The Argonaut of the gymnasiums and put good music. We put regimen to it. We give it personality would give it Vibe and we tracked the people around the world is for the basketball and medication for this ice Kosh, Wisconsin to Madison Square Garden young people around the world their introduction to professional sport be through the Harlem Globetrotters and what they see there's what they come to expect. Dave Syverson said when he was coming along, you know Sports really should be fun should be fun to watch and fun to play and we have nothing to it. We said, you know for sports to get all the attention is getting in our society. It should be educational and education should be positive that should be about behaviors about values about winning and how to lose about how to win if we continue to carry that around the world. We believe that markets will always and people always required integrity. And we call Quality or continuous Improvement Innovation and values and one thing I'm a bit concerned with what sports today and we were to service mentality. And I tell my employees and tell our players that you're in the service business. Your job is performance service for families and for fans and for communities around the world. They look at me and say we're ballplayers. I said, that's what you do. That's not what you are an essential thing. All kids get caught up when they're told that they are students. And they realize if that's what they do with the time they're learning but what they are or evolving people that'll be supporting the swirl. when we were told we were County basketball team a lot of our players. That's The Way We Were We are a educational vehicle that happens to be and most cities in the world that given time and we haven't had the biggest influence on Children and Families almost at any organization in the world. And we take that responsibility. Seriously. That's that's the essence of brand management. By the way, the other essence of brand management is when they talk about promises and we all in our life are establishing for myself. What truth is we decide that we say that we're married? And then we live up to the commitments on marriage and we're trying to close a gap of being honest to that. We say we're going to be a great employee and sometimes we aren't so great. So we're biggest critic and trying to be the great employee versus where we are at the moment. We used to tell me where the greatest basketball team in the world the Harlem Globetrotters and I said as a brand I don't like that. I don't think I can pay the price of being the greatest basketball team in the world. So I had the truth got to deal with that their life are all dealing with this phenomenal called the truth cap. And that's the essence of brand manager. What you say you're going to do it really comes down to are you doing it in the marketplace will reward you for doing what you say you're going to do about that. When I think of the state of sports today, and I'm always your mind it when it when I get into this discussion that when I went to South Africa three years ago. The two things that impacted my life say three things that impacted me most of that went through the country for a month and the team was playing we're doing things number one apartheid looks so much like Elmo, Missouri. How many crap I thought I could be a normal or Edwardsville are some part of Minneapolis. Because the racial divide was real. The other thing that that affected me as I went through South African spend time with Mandela another's they mine Amphitheatre that occurred in those communities and that country that region good people doing bad things are allowing bad things to happen and it occurred to me there. That is a Dodge today is like a lack of South Africa. I can't find that a handful of people that say they supported apartheid. It's like my master told me in church one. Sunday said how we have all these signs and no centers. But the truth is most people didn't like apartheid. Most South African whites are great. Good law-abiding concern people. They want to get up in the morning. They want to be safe. They want to eat they want their kids to do. Well, they want to get on with their life. But the affidavit took place was Fright Night. Then a final thing that struck me about South Africa, like a comment on this is the will and the strength of the cartels. And I'll tell you what struck me about that. I had my assistant this morning to to do some research on Kartel. She's a student type and likes to get deeply into these things and the official definition is an international collection. And I will say a national collection of independent. Enterprise is aimed at making a monopoly. by weakening our eliminating competition And further it says it's our denies for the purpose of control. control all the pieces control of all pricing control of production control of everything and everybody has flashback and I begin to think what about League Sports There they really are cartels. That are interested and control that they control their pricing. They control their Market positioning they control the people around their interest in controlling a lot of things. Cartel. What's not all bad to want to control your environment. We all do that how you going to lie and controlling its environment in the right way but done in the right way, so I began to think that the issue with Major League Sports. Is with a collection of owners who must recognize are there cartels not a lot of Civic or governmental controls? But they do have this major responsibilities within themselves to do the right thing. cartels that are that have empathy who are insensitive who run amok Who stripped the land and people their dignity well in time fell. cartels who are concerned will make a contribution back to society who care what happens to their products with care what happens to people who work for them you want him to do well, and I think we've had The sporting industry is like the gold big gold rush. This country in this world obsessed with his phenomenal sport. And the cartels found an easy pickings to exploited. And they're interested in control. Not a sad part of this. Is that a can't last forever? And I'm a trendsetter believer in the in sports. So I don't want to strike that all I believe it is entertainment. And I believe it's a great way to galvanized families set is Nations and eventually this world. It's a way of communicating unlike anything I've ever seen before the notion of play truly is a centerpiece of all societies have a friend or Tom carrier is a dentist. And when not a dinosaur time. I'm sorry, but Tom is a good friend of mine. Our relationship is built around the notion of play way occasional play golf together our friendship outside of play is for a small but it's true and deep in the area play when families come together the best of family activities as fishing boating and time spent together, but I went to work for honey while I was an outsider one of sixty or seventy thousand have to be after America. My access was not in the boardroom was on the conference room my access along the way I came to the meeting of play that goes through play golf or tennis or basketball my peers who are white middle-class well-educated begin to learn about me as a person. Are you high school students are coming through the reason we had a lot of the gender issues? Azide women were on Fortune left out of the play sequence. But play is very important to all societies nations came together to the Olympics. I mean during the war the Germans were in bracing black athletes from the US the South African movement around the world happened through play. So I think Sports will always be powerful. But I also believe it's our responsibility when I say our citizens to make it work for a families for a communities and for our nation's best interest and we can't let the cartels run amok and we can't skate coping playing a few players because they're only a few. The marketing of superstars and a player salaries has been a mistake. It's been a mistake. It's not a mistake that we have superstars. It's not a mistake that people learn. Well, it's a mistake to use that as a lead marketing vehicle. This has to be corrected. I believe that most owners that business people are well-intentioned. Can you go through each of the owners and the NBA the NFL and Major League Baseball good people the great people, but they are part of a cartel that at the moment LeBron control. I think the 98 maybe 99% of the athletes that you see performing on on Clark on feel. crate kids The group playing ball that like playing ball, they like entertaining they like like exhibiting what they could do best that don't mind making a living out of it and most of them give back very for the other time but the 2% becomes Market all to the media. Sport is good, but I should tell you. That the fate of sports and that's committed any place else does not rest with the cartels. and rest with us We are the consumers we have our hand on the switch. We are the customers. We can turn that switch on or off anytime you want a week and Emmett the Harlem Globetrotters fell out of favor with its Market in the mid the mid-80s and I wish I had you grab the show you what happened. And our attendance dropped from 2 million a year or less than 600000 weeks a lot of faith and someone's at the Harlem Globetrotters two ways the old-fashioned way. Just hard work and secondly we help literally. Scores a focus group sessions since surveys out and we asked the question. What would you like to see in the Harlem Globetrotters? What do you think we ought to be doing or what? Are we doing not right for you? Would you like that happen and that became the Strategic Direction the organization talk? I look back and I say to you as the customer the consumer of sports in this country today. You can Define what it should be. I can tell you what our goal of sports to be we say this word should be fine should be entertaining should be charitable. It should be a public service. We have responsibility to the community. And our truth Gap is trying to reset all the time. But you know you as consumers Define that you can't blame the Paul as you can't blame the ownership of sports. The cartels are run-amok in this society, which is free until you say this is what will accept and we will not accept. And I think we have a great gesture for future for sports. In fact, I'm counting on it. Counting all because I believe in Ocean to play I Believe in a notion that Sports really do buying communities. Can colonize individuals and groups? I think it's educational and I think any sports owner our professional player is really the bottom line a public servant and educator. We can't lose that nurses side. It means too much. And people say why the Harlem Globetrotters succeed. Can we work our tail off we're trying to close that truth. Got we're trying to be very special. We're trying to be special. Tell my daughters. I got two daughters with teenagers. I said, you know, I'm an overachiever. I have hopes of being great. I simply dreamed of being great. And I was a Daydreamer. And I said it if I didn't dream I'd be somewhere down here in that box car down in southern Missouri, but I dream of getting out of that box car when I got out of the box car. I dream of sitting at a corporate office, but I got out of the carpet office. I dreamed of being on top. I want to be the best I could be I want I wasn't happy to be just one of the crowd. I want the product Harlem Globetrotters. I want my family and my friends are recognized. They can be better and I can be better. And I got that through Sports, by the way. I got that through Sports. I learned that if I worked at something TV show Manny Jackson's very lucky and I always I realized very quickly the more I practice the luckier I got I ran a business in Honeywell wants and I said business around the clock. I started five 6 in the morning and I'm over many times at Honeywell changing clothes there for the next morning when people come in and I have people coming to me and say how are you crazy? But you're the luckiest guy ever say you got another promotion already. You're going here. I'm lucky. All right, but it's true to me. I'm where I work the more baskets. I shot him with my cord out there the luckier I got and a better life for us from being people around the plane fare and playing with others. We can't lose Sports and the market will reward and it will reward quality Innovation. And if you have a service mentality, you can't it can't be beat and I close by saying whatever the state of sport. I went by the way, it is great for these communities and it's great. Economic is great socially, whatever the state of sports. You're the ownership take the ownership away from the cartels become partners with him and you define the direction of sports because if you don't get involved, You get what you get? And by the way, if I haven't said this before, I hope that all of you have on your calendars to come out and see the Harlem Globetrotters next year. We have truly tried to be fun to watch. And we truly try to involve as many kids and what we're doing as possible and we truly try to be role models and sometimes people laugh at that but I don't mind saying we tried and maybe some mornings are some afternoons or some days were down here, but we're constantly working on closing the truth Gap. No different had customers in Honeywell customer that knows you're working on troll clothing. The truth. Gap will be tolerant. It's only when you're indifferent that you lose customers and lose your way and we're not indifferent to being excellent. This community is the best community in this country. This should be the model. Play at a family in a form of the sport and I have no doubt that it will be and I'll close by saying I want to thank all the supporters of mentors and angels that I've had in the city Minneapolis think Isis African American man. For a box car at Elmo, Missouri no way. What I've been able to accomplish. Over the years I've been able to do without support of many people black white male female crazy intelligent supportive, and I appreciate all of them. I appreciate all of you. Thank you. Thanks Manny. You're listening to Manny Jackson who's the owner and chairman of the Harlem Globetrotters speaking to the Minnesota meeting on the Stations of Minnesota Public Radio question for you Manny from Paul giel, who is the former athletic director at the University of Minnesota Paul? Could you tell us something about the makeup of your current team the Harlem Globetrotters I go back to Goose Tatum and Sweetwater Clifton when he went with the New York Knicks and what does equality that you're looking for the characteristics you're looking for besides the athletic ability and in this crazy world of salaries it seemingly way out of whack in some cases. How do you compensate the players that can make up your current team? Thanks Paul. I'm honored that you're here. I've been a fan of yours for a lot of years and I'm glad you're here. and I'll selecting a house that start with a selection of players and I have a speech that I give at at camp and I go to the camp and I'm actually a coach to I think I myself to be a coach and they have a great business person our leaders involved in all that most of the business. I get a speech on the last day on the first day of the last day of camp and I say you're in the fourth quarter to athletic life. It's over. If I don't associate or nine years old now it's time to begin the difficult process of transition. And if you make this team is because we have evidence that you had submitted yourself to the concept of transitioning out of being a jock or an athlete to bring a person is going out into the world and so our players respond to that and we have probably 50 Diner players each year that want to be better people and we measurement they're not that they're the best people right now, but they're their goal is to be better people and we find that in three or four weeks of training camp. We find out who's serious about improving and getting better and we typically hire students There seems to be no substitute for the one time the like thing a student that students tend to care and to be responsible. We don't broadcast Robert I salaries. In fact, I have had a plan at some point to publish the salary among the players because we have a program called pay performance. We have the players rape each others are group each year. They do the totem pole and we assure them that their pay will be distributed over the the average income the totem pole the players give other players and the totem pole that owners get players and that's interesting because players are the best judge of players and leaders come from players. Not from owners are coaches. And it's worked. Our players salaries have gone to the route. They're very proud of it, but it's within reason because they to understand gross profit. Part of we doing our camp is go through p&l training profit and loss training. They understand profit and I tell him I make money first fellows. And I kind of get that and I'm saying and it all kind of falls together on gross profit. But that's one of the biggest challenge we have is not finding great players, but finding finding great kids and I'm a strong believer. You set the hurdle high enough. These kids are capable of responding you lower the hurdle that responded that to That's working process and policy challenge today because our role models on highlight films and TV at night and Human Nature has a way of drifting to the lowest common denominator. We try to constantly establish the highest common denominator. That's a challenges, you know. Thank you Manny. Our next question is from build-ups who's president of Williams executive Search. I thank you Manny. Would you comment on the state of high school sports and is their role that the business Community could play and read juvenate in high school sports? I don't have any question about my high school coach passed away at 2 weeks ago and a month before he passed away. I doubt $100,000 scholarship. Will they call it Luke Scholars? And his name because of what he did for me and then my life. We cannot let Sports drift at the high school level. It means too much. It means too much to the kids are in school to the players who aspire to be athletes to the students who want to respect to learn respect for institutions and they'll rally around it. And it's probably the combination of this thing of a play being important play being necessary to watch and be able to do it in the right Spirit be supportive. And play being something if you're participating in it, it develops your value system and then you as a as a person. We have made Sports extracurricular activities and I think it's a shame. I think Sports is a Core Curriculum activity. I think in the conference room with business people the principles of sport apply. I was a business athlete. And I think all of us who had one time have been successful in business. We are business athletes. And I think the stamina the teamwork the setting of goals the practicing or all values it'll learn either playing sports or watching sports. I'll tell you something else. Learn have fun in this country and have some fun and enjoy watching others have fun. So I think it's it's regrettable that we get sidetracked and lose the element of sport and play on a formal and informal way in our high schools. And I would encourage all of you to become is active and that initiative issue are working with the cartels in all professional sports. Thanks, man. You have a next question here from matte makeup who's with Minnesota Wild since our new NHL Franchise evolving over the next five years would say and what are the top challenges and opportunities for the franchise of the within each of the special Sports? But I'll speak to the NBA for men and I can only speak what I read in the paper too. And I am the strongest supporter of sport. Generally if the sport water level rises so selfish reasons. I rise in that industry. So I would never do anything to demean R22 castrate sport as an industry. But what I see is a future if we don't do a quick reassessment of itself, we could go to the sport industry go in the bankruptcy. And and I think it's teetering on the brink of what I'll call Professional bankruptcy now if not economic bankruptcy. And I am convinced that it's salvation since it is a public torch are a public utility very much subsidized by by you and myself and our tax dollars in our interest. I think it has to get back to the community and I think the future sports it all of us. Don't hurry and take a roll a roll and rationalize it. It'll be one of those things. I said nevermind disco was big in 1976 75. It's possible my kids in 20 years of segment which sport was big back in the Hat 90s thing that 80's they have a shame, but believe me it can happen. It's a natural art reflects. The one thing I remember thinking Onyx in college is that businesses have a natural economic cycle? They will rise and what about reinvention? And what up, redefinition of themselves they will fall in the fall be asleep as a ride receiver have an exported the point. Where is risen so fast they need now to get about the business of ourselves for survival like any good business and we've got to help him we can apply with are doing today. We got to help me get to the next level. Worth helping thank you Manny. You probably noticed we have lots of students here today and let us student-athletes our corporate sponsors partner with schools and Honeywell partners with North we have a student here in a Keisha Caldwell was going to tell you a little bit about a program that they have and then they have a student was going to ask you a question. Hi, we're here from North Tyler group of student-athletes who are chemical free. And we also speak at junior high schools about how it feels to be an athlete in chemical-free. Here's a Byron Graham. Yes, I'm what are the type of things that you did why you were used to help you prepare for the position you're in now? Having just come from the funeral my School coaches. He's at the talk about it because I heard the stories back and the time I thought it was stupid and I thought it was kind of going to be okay if we got to do this, but what I did I worked hard to learn to work hard. I learned up Define that streetlight out there that I can hook a basket onto and stay out of all the time. Like I stay in the office until 4 or 5 in the morning working that was a value. I learned that work paid off and working make a difference. The other thing that that I learned has been very valuable is it I couldn't do it by myself. I can put them on myself. I had to have teammates and others to make what I want to accomplish happen. And the third thing I have always unabashedly look for a later time. Enter a Guiding Light a light post if it will I want to find somebody who's been there of someone who cared and some direction to say that's where I want to get too and that start in sports. I respected my coach when I was bad, but it doesn't lie pretty badly and I didn't like the time but I look back I tell you a story he tells all the time. I was a star, you know done things well, and my home is right across the street from the high school. And those days would go out of town the play ball. We going cars sitting with and so I turn picture window. They don't say anymore. I send a picture window on my home across the street from the school and am I cool stupid way. I want to wait till everybody got their eye scratched my bag and I might be the last one to walk out. start stuff Baluka caught on a bus and so I want getting the cars and they so predictably now we'll see Manny come out of spending out of his hole. Well that day they took off. They took off and for the first time I felt like jumping out of an airplane that and I shoot didn't open up. I thought I'm lost and I panicked. Sore back in the house and asked my mom what to do so the car is not here. I called a cab and a cab ride from Edwardsville, Illinois to Wood River, Illinois and those days like $12 a lot of money. Believe me, major money in those days. So I collected money from people who are going to the game. Top of the cab driver. I said I need to go there recognize me to go to the game. Soluco Sami said look, I'll take care of those people. You collect the money from when you get in this game when I finally put you at you'd better score. And we better not Louis. I was motivated. I was motivated. But I also tell you that the lesson I have in life now on the Mayweather snow Wall Street Journal on the only things we teach players as being on time. Discipline by being on time. It talks about caring it talk about responsibility. It talks about your preparation for you're going to and we hope that our players leave with Obsession of showing up and being on time. All this music on things I learned and I could add hundreds of other pieces to it. But that's a one story that I recall. I got another appreciation for being on time and being responsible. Thanks for the question. I'm having next question here from Tony Kozlowski. Who's the president of the American Refugee committee? Football thanks Manny for your very inspiring words. It's so nice to see you back in town. I have a question with regard to the international or Global role of the Harlem Globetrotters. You talked about your recent visit to South Africa. Did you have an objective above and beyond actually playing there and getting people together particularly with regard to reconciliation in that country and if so, how is that applicable to other countries like Rwanda and Liberia or Bosnia? I can make this really quick and I'll tell you another story about the Globetrotters leaving the United States. First of all of the trip to South Africa was reinforced with of of a lesson that I've always learned and we take for granted this country that that most of our direction is developed by by experience. Something you seen my dreams you've had. And I'm convinced you can't do what you haven't seen. And it's impossible to dream. and muskets what you haven't seen and so the Harlem Globetrotters showing up in the townships and the Backwoods the homelands of South Africa did one thing for that. Stopping the day. I think we've provided those children and families. Are the dream set? Invaluable we could have sent a million boxer to Fidelity money behind. We could have said 15 million dollars over there, but without a dream set without new dreams and actually witnessing we all need to see it take for granted. I think we made a difference in Hawaii. When we leave this country. Unless it's been contaminated by segments are the races. Porsche of our society most countries are most individuals of the Americas. I suppose people are from there. They don't say where they tried going to African saying, I'm an African America. And then we go to China and place it at least those folks are from the USA. Let that Western culture speech patterns value systems and they've already they already had their stereotypic perception how we going to behave? But we recognize that. Pretty hokey to say this. We represent America As Americans and we leave behind an indelible impression. Of the good the bad the ugly indifferent about this country. Inteletravel we take on this responsibility of being Americans. out with regard to sub-Saharan Africa I think the contribution that America makes to this world is that we provide a vision of what can be under democratic system. We also Supply a vision of what can be on there. What is been a dirty word capitalism. And I think when athletes are individuals travel. If we behave and do and say the right things I think you can shut a very favorable light. On faith capitalism and democracy and well and our society we're so so jaded. You think I'm going to wear really ambassadors of Goodwill. And so the players after one or two times around. And I've seen all the sights that been to the bars. They done what they do is first time through they start to get it that their mission is a little bit bigger than just want to play ball that they really are leaving the Impressions behind weather in Russia. Sub-Saharan Africa are in China the living Impressions about how about this country about the strength? And the cause of capitalism and democracy and we take that serious. We take that very serious. I think of Americans as getting people caring people good sports and we want to leave that we take that serious. It is from Kimberly Washington who's with Dain Rauscher? Hi, thank you. I miss you. She's really good. The question I have is when I was growing up. My mother didn't let us go to blaxploitation films. She didn't allow us to watch Good Times I television and she didn't want us to go to the Harlem Globetrotters because she felt that it was that black people especially when the people like, dr. Martin Luther King, whoever killed Medgar Evers those people were killed and struggled for us to have a more productive place in the society. She felt we didn't have to act silly to get ahead. Do you feel that the image that you have to deal with with the Harlem Globetrotters? And if so, how do you handle that? Well, it tight just said to tell it's good. That's really good question fact. There's so much to talk about in that we're not on are we on radio now? if there's so much to talk about on that and Maybe the plus side. I would not tell you that the Trap we find herself in. First of all, the industry of sport is a multinational multibillion-dollar industry. If you reflect on it properly as an entertainment industry, you think I handful a very handful of African-Americans caused this explosion of an industry and uniquely dominated on it interpreted and have performed elections never before has reason to be proud of that and I'll set that aside for a minute. Nothing wrong with being silly. I'm a serious. I'm going on in the world. Probably one of the richest in this country around being silly silly is good. At the right time and I won't say the glove try to sell it, but there's nothing wrong with fun. What happened with the Harlem Globetrotters? I believe too depleted us. I think that there was a time when the Globetrotters you can imagine putting Michael Jordan Magic Johnson, Karl Malone. Kenny Anderson Gary Payton together on one team and have them Barnstorm the country playing everybody. That's where the Globetrotters are regulated relegated to because of apartheid and racism. That's all we could do it that time imagine the power that ended a traveling around playing everybody and only because they were black they were forced to be closer together. They got so good that they won the World Championship. They got so good that the games got boring games negative ways to keep people interested. So they entertained. They interpret the game in a way that I've never been in Turkey before uniquely Afrocentric. and the Afrocentric interpretation was this ought to be fun this ought to be performance initiative. It's hard to be a celebration. A second step further. There's another team called the New York Rants and I'm so into this kind of stuff now because I'm doing historical search prepare for the movie in the musical were doing and if some blanks in history, then try and understand history was written by the people who were in power and the perspective of history from a black perspective is something wasn't told there's another team called the New York rants may have the general name Douglas who was in charge of that take Ranitidine. And that was a great basketball team to affect the two greatest basketball teams in the country. I like to know the country that time or the wrens and the wrong Globetrotters. The difficulty was the Harlem Globetrotters are owned and controlled. Buy a white person Abe saperstein. so it's set up contention between the black community and and the Globetrotters not because they were black because they're owned by white person and that's never been quite forgot. Anderson Lee when the two teams came to play together in the world championship the white teams lost and went their way, but the Globetrotters won the world title in 1941 or 42. And the wrens eventually because of their relative success of the Globetrotters two players were hired away from the ransom and put love product. But what I think really changed history as global leaders, in the late 50s and early 60s About the time that he was ever seen was that gotten so wealthy and the formula to work so well. When it came to taking a position and getting involved on a risk level and civil rights and being support of a king and Malcolm, I believe not just a Globetrotters by age saperstein blanked. And people like your mother her age and others have never forgot white found a way to forgive. The Harlem Globetrotters are blinking at that critical time. And I think from that point on. The NBA which had been white also began to to grow and Thrive like most of you should know if you don't know the Globetrotters played three games for the NBA and are to get Crowder to come to the NBA play in those days. Was to the main everything and anything that look like competition. Biggest that time there wasn't even appreciate it's a lot of room for us to play in. And also believe that the team was purchased in the early seventies. I think we got a little too silly. Hello to Sally Brown gut. And that's part of the Reclamation process and I'm going through now what you should recall out of this. Is a handful of African-Americans were at the base of the explosion of an industry called Sport & Entertainment and sports arena with the day and for me and my kids that's the reason for pride and our people like Spike Lee and Reggie gained and Savion Glover and others are putting a movie together or putting a Broadway musical together to Enlighten people to tell this story and my time the Harlem Globetrotters. I told Mike bonsignori Carol. I said, I'd like to make this thing live again and get my back on it for what it was. I want to stay long enough to just to do that my time. The Harlem Globetrotters will end on the other side of that story being told the right way so that your reaction to the Harlem Globetrotters and your mom's memories are not properly position in history. historical be told by a winner happily my store. So that my kids can cannot have that mixed impression that confusion reality that that some people have all wasn't perfect back in the thirties forties and fifties. It's nothing wrong with being a mistress for the farmer had to make a living and make a living. If you watch Fox today that I can turn your mom off. I don't know what will bless you for some crazy silly stuff going on there. But you know, that's lightning. What is that's the best I can tell you. I would love to spend a day going to the research. I just had on that subject. I'm serious about doing this moving. I'm serious about doing the musical. I want the educational process to be entertaining and fun as we read it fine, but the Harlem Globetrotters representa, so thank you. Very good question. Thank you, but coach at Washburn High School at last question from Annie. Just one Ami many I came here looking for. Maybe some dessert. I got meeting potatoes and I thank you for that question is We coaches look for imparting values and education opportunities and all things. We think about that are right for kids. But I'm at a loss at times how you do that in this day when all you think about Spain and money for the kids and they have their other mentors that are outside the arena. What do you do as a coach to instill the things that are viable their groin? Having 16 17 18 year old daughter's I'm a novice at some of these discussions, but I have come to accept one reality to me is a the children are at a higher level than we are. They're much smarter than we are that much more perceptive than we are. We're baked and the legacy of a week Communications and poor understanding their legacy will be heaped and internet and some communication Society has never seen it before. And my answer that is that. If you set the standards high enough and stay by them. Those kids will respond. My feeling and belief is that we have. Lower the standards and respect we have for young people. To the point where they're turned off with us most of the time cuz we set our standards too low and I respect is too low and I'm hopeful that the next generation of adults will raise the standards and again raise the respect that we have for children because they are higher bang. They're smarter than we are the more flexible. We are they know things that we don't know because they came along at different times information technology is a reality Is a concept for us and people like you and great leadership positions. You are really the the disciple you're really the leader. You really do the hope for the future not just for the kids or coaching you working with for all them that are around you you're in a great position today great position to change behaviors in the future. The more we can talk about that when to thank you. It's just the Manny Jackson who is the owner and chairman of the Harlem Globetrotters speaking today at the Minnesota meeting in Downtown Minneapolis broadcast. Minnesota meeting are supported by Oppenheimer wolf and Dante with offices in both Minneapolis. And st. Paul providing legal services to businesses around the world that does it for our mid-day program today. So glad you could tune in and I hope you'll be able to join us tomorrow. We have another live luncheon address tomorrow this time from the national Press Club. And tomorrow we're going to be focusing on Transportation issues Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater is speaking at the Press Club tomorrow, and of course some other things he's expected to talk a lot about that big Transportation bill that's making its way through the Congress. Minnesota has a lot at stake lots of money for Road repair road construction light rail Transit the rest. We'll get an update tomorrow a live broadcast from the national Press Club. Ray Suarez will be along right after news headlines. Hope you can stay tuned with dock for Talk of the Nation Gary. I can hear thanks for tuning in for Midday. I'm learning as well as preaching on the next all things considered. We'll see what happens when a black church and a white church merge. It's all things considered weekdays at 3 on Minnesota Public Radio k n o w FM 91.1 You're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. We have a sunny Sky. It's up to 66 degrees at Canada Avenue FM 91.1 Minneapolis. And st. Paul sunny. All afternoon temperature should rise into the low 70s clear tonight with a low in the 4245 sunny tomorrow with a high in the middle 70s.